Satsuma bowl; Japan, 19th century.

Satsuma bowl; Japan, 19th century. Glazed ceramic. Signed on the side. Measurements: 7,5 x 11 cm Satsuma bowl with geisha decoration and a plum blossom, signed on the side by the master. Satsuma pottery has been made since the early eighteenth century on the island of Kyushuu, and was a type of great Korean influence, as in fact it was even brought to the Korean potters pottery. In the second half of the 18th century it became so popular in Japan that the production center was moved to Awata, near Kyoto. Thus, there is a local production in the eighteenth century, although the pieces for export in the nineteenth century, already produced in Awata, will have a greater importance. The paste is not porcelain, but a very light, porous light terracotta. The glaze is feldspathic, mixed with wood ash. The most characteristic feature of Satsuma ware is its decorative richness, sometimes even exaggerated.